Handicapped Self Feeder

ABSTRACT

A feeder device for feeding a user may include a supporting arm, a food tube to cooperate with the support arm and to hold food for the user, a rotating bearing to rotate the supply arm and a slider device to extrude the food out of the food tube so that the user can be fed without holding the food. The food tube may be flexible, and the feeder device may include a motor to rotate the rotating bearing. The motor may move the slider device along the supporting arm, and the motor may move between a first position and a second position. The motor may pivot between the first position and the second position, and the feeder device may include a control arm to control the rotation of the rotating bearing. The control arm may include a pin to position the rotating bearing, and the motor may be deactivated when the pin engages the rotating bearing. The slider device may include a movable nut member, and the motor may rotate a threaded shaft to move the slider device. The threaded shaft may cooperate with the movable nut member to move the slider device, and the movable nut device may be operable between a first position and a second position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device to allow an impaired user to select and obtain food, automomously, the choice and delivery being triggered by hand, or by any area of the user's body, arm, leg, foot, etc. that can activate an electrical switch with minimal movement or effort.

BACKGROUND

Individuals with debilitating conditions from accidents, age, or disease often have difficulty feeding themselves or have food reach their mouth without considerable spillage. The ability for them to do this effectively and autonomously without help and without the cost of an assistant has considerable appeal. The fact that the feed tubes can be filled and frozen to shorten the time for future meal preparation may be also desirable. The cost of a food tube, near that of a soda straw, makes it disposable after a single use.

While food feeders for babies, invalids and the like are known in the art, they have been in the form of utensils filled from other packages and most often require an assistant. This personnel cost in nursing homes tends to be considerable. A system that can reduce meal preparation time and cost, the cost of assisted feeding, and reduce dishwashing, sterilization and cleanup time is obviously desirable to all caretakers. While food feeders for babies, invalids and the like are known in the art, they have usually been in the form of utensils filled from other packages thus presenting a sanitation problem as well as being too expensive for single disposable use.

SUMMARY

A feeder device for feeding a user may include a supporting arm, a food tube to cooperate with the support arm and to hold food for the user, a rotating bearing to rotate the supply arm and a slider device to extrude the food out of the food tube so that the user can be fed without holding the food.

The food tube may be flexible, and the feeder device may include a motor to rotate the rotating bearing.

The motor may move the slider device along the supporting arm, and the motor may move between a first position and a second position.

The motor may pivot between the first position and the second position, and the feeder device may include a control arm to control the rotation of the rotating bearing.

The control arm may include a pin to position the rotating bearing, and the motor may be deactivated when the pin engages the rotating bearing.

The slider device moves along guardrails.

The slider device may include a movable nut member, and the motor may rotate a threaded shaft to move the slider device.

The threaded shaft may cooperate with the movable nut member to move the slider device, and the movable nut device may be operable between a first position and a second position.

The slider device may return to a start position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of the feeder device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of one arm of the feeder device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the feeder device of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates another side view of the feeder device of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates another side view of the feeder device of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the feeder device of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the control locking arm of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the control locking arm of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates an outer end view of the support arm and tube holding device;

FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of one support arm;

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of a support arm;

FIG. 12 illustrates a side view of the control arm and locking pin of the present invention;

FIG. 13 illustrates a top view of the flexible food tube of the present invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates a side view of the end of the flexible food tube of the present invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates a cross-section of the front end of the flexible food tube of the present invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates a top view of the cap or plug used to seal a filled food tube of the present invention;

FIG. 17 illustrates a top view of the control locking arm of the present invention;

FIG. 18 illustrates a front view of the slider device or food extruder of the present invention;

FIG. 19 illustrates a side view of the slider device of the present invention;

FIG. 20 illustrates a view of the outer component or shield of the slider device of the present invention;

FIG. 21 illustrates a front view of the slider device and rail device of the present invention;

FIG. 22 illustrates a top view of the guide rail of the present invention;

FIG. 23 illustrates a top view of the rotating bearing of the present invention;

FIG. 24 illustrates a side view of the rotating bearing of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The feeding device may have several supporting arms radiating up and out from a rotating hub, each supporting an attachable, flexible food tube. A small electric motor in a down or default position may be used to rotate the tubes to select a given food, using a friction drive. A selected food tube may be first locked in a delivery position, and the electric motor is deactivated when the stop pin engages the rotating hub.

This electric motor may be rotated upward manually or by the activation of an electromagnet to engage the gear on the end of the threaded rod that extends under and up each support arm. Both the rotation of the motor and the switch that controls the motor may be operated by hand or electrically with the switch requiring minimum movement and may be operated by the users arm, leg, and or body part.

The two half nut pressing against the side of the threaded rod may be used to provide the force to propel a slider up and out along the support arm, pressing food out of the upper end of the food tube and into the mouth of the user who may need to lean forward a few inches.

Forcing the two half nuts apart may release them from the threaded rod and allows the slider to be repositioned at the bottom of the support arm in the start position.

The food tube flexibility may allow kernels of corn, beans, and the like To be extruded.

Multiple tubes can be filled quickly with a simple pastry bag or by an automatic machine and in either case, frozen for later use.

FIG. 1 illustrates the feeder device 100 which may include a rotating bearing 103 which may be detachably connected to a motor (not shown) in order to selectively rotate the rotating bearing 103. The rotating bearing 103 may rotate on a central shaft 105 which may be connected to a basesupport surface of support 106 for the feeder device 100, and the rotating bearing 103 may be connected to a rotatable mounting spacer 107 which may rotate with the rotating bearing 103 and maybe cylindrical in shape and which may maintain a spaced relationship from the rotating bearing 103 from the supporting arms 109. The supporting arms 109 may extend radially from the rotatable mounting spacer 107 and may be connected to the rotatable mounting spacer 107. The supporting arms 109 may include an upward extending finger-hook 111 to cooperate with a hole in the end of the a flexible food tube 113 which may be hollow and may include food to be dispensed to a user and the flexible food tube 113 may be positioned by a fastening device 115 which may extend around the end of the flexible food tube 113. The flexible food tube 113 may be positioned radially along the elongated supporting arm 109 and may extend beyond the distal end of the elongated supporting arm 109.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the feeder device 100 and illustrates the central shaft 105 which may extend substantially in the vertical direction. The rotatable mounting spacer 107 is additionally illustrated and is connected to the supporting arm 109 which may be curved upwards in order to more easily allow the user to reach the end of the flexible feed tube 113 which may have a detachably connected cap 117 or plug to provide access to the contents which may be a fluid or a solid or a combination within the flexible food tube 113.

FIG. 3 illustrates a motor 131 which may be pivotably mounted in order to rotate in a first position the rotating bearing 103 which may rotate the rotatable mounting spacer 107 which may in turn rotate the supporting arm 109 in order to place the flexible food tube 113 in front of the user. The motor 131 may be mounted on a second arm 151 which may be connected to a pivot joint 119 which may be connected to a first arm 139 which may be connected to the support 106. The motor 131 may be connected to a control arm 137 which may be controlled by the user to control the position of the motor 131.

FIG. 3 illustrates the motor 131 in a first position and being positioned so that a first connection member 133 which may be an O ring engages the rotating bearing 103 which may rotate the rotatable mounting spacer 107 which may turn the supporting arm 101.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the motor 131 has been moved to a second position by the user pivoting the motor 131 with respect to the pivot joint 119 by use of the control arm 137. The motor 131 may be connected to a second connection member 135 which may be a gear to cooperate with a third connection member 153 which may be a gear to rotate the threaded shaft 157. The rotation of the threaded shaft 157 is translated into the linear motion of the slider device 159 along the support arm 101 and the flexible food tube 113 in order to compress the flexible food tube 113 which may force the food within the flexible food tube 113 to extrude out of the distal end of the flexible food tube 113.

FIG. 4 additionally illustrates a limit switch 163 which may include a first and second terminal 163 and a connection disk 165 which may travel with the threaded shaft 157 as the threaded shaft 157 rotates. Thus, as the connection disk 165 contacts the first and second terminals 163, the motor 131 is shut off in order to limit the travel of the slider device 159. Alternatively, an electromagnet may be employed for alternate control.

FIG. 5 illustrates that the connection terminals 163 are connected together by the connection disk 165 which may be biased by a biasing device 167 which may be a spring which may urge the connection disk 165 towards the connection terminals 163.

FIG. 5 additionally illustrates a locking device 169 which may be a pin which may cooperate with an aperture 171 formed in the rotating bearing 103. The locking device 169 may be formed on a control locking arm 173 so that the user may raise and lower the locking device 169 to lock and release the rotating bearing 103 in predetermined positions which may correspond to the supporting arm 109 being positioned in front of the user.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the feeder device 100 and illustrates the support 106 which is connected to the center shaft 105 which is connected to the rotatable mounting spacer 107 which is connected to the supporting arm 109 which is connected to the flexible food tube 113. FIG. 6 additionally illustrates the control arm 137 and the control locking arm 173.

FIG. 7 illustrates the control locking arm 173 which may include a switch 175 to activate and deactivate the motor 131 in accordance with the position of the control locking arm 173. When the locking device 179 is positioned within aperture 171 the terminals of the locking switch 175 are separated and deactivate the motor 131. When the locking device 179 is withdrawn from the aperture 171, the switch 175 is closed and activates the motor 131 which turns the rotating bearing 103.

FIG. 8 illustrates a biasing device 177 which may be a spring and which may be positioned between the control locking arm 173 and the support 106 to maintain the terminals of the locking switch 175 apart when the user is not using the control arm 173.

FIG. 9 illustrates an end view of the supporting arm 101 and illustrates the fastening device 115 to support the flexible food tube 113.

FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of the supporting arm 101 and illustrates the upward extending finger 111 or hook.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of the support arm 101.

FIG. 12 illustrates a side view of the control locking arm 173.

FIG. 17 illustrates a top view of the control locking arm 173.

FIG. 13 illustrates a top view of the flexible food tube 113 and illustrates an aperture 113 a to cooperate with the upward extending finger 111.

FIG. 14 illustrates a side view of a portion of the flexible food tube 113.

FIG. 15 illustrates the front of the plug 113 b which may be detachably inserted into the end of the flexible food tube 113 in order to seal the flexible food tube 113 until the user desires to remove the food from the flexible food tube 113.

FIG. 16 illustrates a side view of the plug 113 b.

FIG. 17 illustrates a front view of the slider device 159 which may include a slider housing 179 and may include a split nut member 181 which may include an internal threaded portion to engage the threaded shaft 155. The split nut member 181 may include a first nut portion 181 a and second nut portion 181 b which may be detachably connected. While the first nut portion 181 is connected to the second nut portion 181, the threaded shaft 115 can engage the nut member 181 and the slider device 159 may advance towards the user and compress the flexible food tube 113 between the first roller 183 and the second roller 185. Alternatively, the first nut portion 181 a may separate from the second nut portion 181 b to allow the slider device 159 to retract along the supply arm 101 towards the center of the feeder device 100 to allow another flexible food tube 113 to be placed on the support arm 101. FIG. 8 additionally illustrates an arm 187 to detachably connect the first nut portion 181 a and the second nut portion 181 b.

FIG. 20 illustrates an expanded view of the slider housing of the slider device 159 of the present invention

FIG. 21 illustrates a front view of the slider device 159 mounted on a guide rail 189 and the first nut portion 181 a and the second nut portion 181 b separated to allow the slider device 159 to return down the threaded shaft 155.

FIG. 22 illustrates guide rail 189 of the present invention which may include a center channel 191 to cooperate with the threaded shaft 155.

FIG. 23 illustrates a top view of the rotating bearing 103 which includes a inclined edge 193 to cooperate with the motor 131.

FIG. 24 illustrates a side view of the rotating bearing 103 and the inclined edge 193.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. 

1) A feeder device for feeding a user, comprising: a supporting arm a food tube to cooperate with the support arm and to hold food for the user; a rotating bearing to rotate the supply arm; a slider device to extrude the food out of the food tube so that the user can be fed without holding the food. 2) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 1, wherein the food tube is flexible. 3) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 1, wherein the feeder device includes a motor to rotate the rotating bearing. 4) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 3, wherein the motor moves the slider device along the supporting arm. 5) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 4, wherein the motor moves between a first position and a second position. 6) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 5, wherein the motor pivots between the first position and the second position. 7) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 1, wherein the feeder device includes a control arm to control the rotation of the rotating bearing. 8) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 7, wherein the control arm includes a pin to position the rotating bearing. 9) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 8, wherein the motor is deactivated when the pin engages the rotating bearing. 10) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 1, wherein the slider device moves along guardrails. 11) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 10, wherein the slider device includes a movable nut member. 12) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 11, wherein the motor rotates a threaded shaft to move the slider device. 13) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 12, wherein the threaded shaft cooperate with the movable nut member to move the slider device. 14) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 13, wherein the movable nut device is operable between a first position and a second position. 15) A feeder device for feeding a user as in claim 14, wherein the movable nut device disengages the threaded shaft in order for the slider device to return to a start position. 